Long Time Coming
by exquizitebritt
Summary: Jade comes back to Hollywood Arts after being away for a little over a year. She returns to unresolved issues with Beck, and a secret unbeknownst to everyone at HA.
1. Nostalgic

Walking through these halls again at Hollywood Arts, felt nostalgic. She walked to her locker, finding it untouched. She smiled, looking at her locker decorated with scissors.

"So this is where you went to school?" Talan asked, walking to stand next to her.

"Yea, this was my locker," she said pointing at her locker.

He chuckled. "You weren't kidding about being in love with scissors huh?"

She grinned, and let out a small chuckle. "Yea, but you guys didn't let me hold one. You guys didn't even let me drink coffee. I had to give up the two things I love the most."

"You know you couldn't play with scissors, and coffee is bad for you."

Jade rolled her eyes. "Yea, Yea, Yea. Let's get to class, Lane gave me the 'ok' slip, letting you stay in class with me." She grabbed Talan's hand and started walking towards improv class.

Jade opened the door to Sikowitz class, simpering, while looking at her old classmates. Everyone looked at her with disbelief.

Her hair grew a little longer than it had when she left, and her natural auburn hair grew back, with white and pink peek-a-boo strips. She still had an eyebrow and nose piercing. But everyone in class couldn't believe she had a smile on her face.

They also noticed an unfamiliar guy standing slightly behind her. He looked a little older than them, maybe a few years older. He had short brown hair. He was attractive, or more precisely, he was handsome.

Beck couldn't believe it. Jade was in the same room as him. He dreamed about this moment, ever since she left. To him, she looked beautiful. She looked the same way she did when he first met her. However he noticed she looked thinner, and lost a little color. But still, she looked incredible to him. 'God, I missed her,' he thought to himself.

"Eeeeee! Jadey's back," Cat screeched. She ran to Jade and gave her a big hug. And surprisingly, Jade actually hugged her back. A lot of people were shocked. Usually when Cat hugged Jade, Jade would push her off and scream at her, but this time she didn't.

Beck wanted to run and hug her too, but he wasn't sure if she'd be ok with it. Plus, they weren't boyfriend and girlfriend anymore, so that would have been awkward. He was so fixated on Jade; he didn't even notice the guy with her, until Sikowitz brought it up.

"Nice of you to join us Jade. Who's your little friend?" Sikowitz asked.

Jade turned to face Talan, and pulled him into the room. "This is Talan. We met at Houston."

Who the hell was this guy? Why did she bring him? Is he her new boyfriend? How is he even allowed to be here, if he's not a student? All of these questions popped into Beck's head.

"Lane gave him a permission slip to shadow me around from now on."

"Sooo, tell us about the schools in Houston," Sikowitz asked, sitting down, resting his elbows on his knees, and leaning his face into his hands with a big smile on his face – like a little kid.

Jade saw Beck sitting in between Andre and Tori on the side they used to sit on when they were dating. 'Of course he'd sit next to Vega,' she thought to herself. She rolled her eyes, and grabbed Talan's hand. She decided to sit on the opposite side, next to Cat and Robbie. "It was great. Talan showed me around and took care of me. It was fun. Everyone there was Friendly."

"Friendly people, fun, you… that doesn't sound like you Jade," Tori retorted. It was true. Jade was never a giddy, happy person. She hated when people were extremely friendly.

"You're telling me! She was such a mean, harsh, sarcastic girl, when I first met her. Over time though, she kind of softened up inside." Talan looked at Jade, smiling at her. "I like to think I was the reason she got a little softy."

"Yea, well you didn't get rid of the 'old jade' completely," Jade replied.

"I don't think you can ever get rid of you sarcasm or wit. It's what makes you, you," Talan said placing one arm around Jade's shoulder.

"Alright Jade, be lovey-dovey with your boyfriend on your own time," Sikowitz said.

"Glady!" Jade retorted in her infamous sarcastic tone.

Those words stung Beck. That was her boyfriend? 'She had some nerve showing up, after a year, with a new boyfriend,' Beck thought to himself. It hurt him seeing that guy put his arm around Jade's shoulder. He used to do that. He started to doze off, remembering all of those times he had his arms around her shoulder, or his hand on her thighs. He missed it. He missed her.

* * *

After class, Tori, Beck, Andre, and Robbie, went to go eat lunch. Cat, Jade, and Talan went to Jade's locker. She needed to grab a book for her next class.

"So how long have you two been dating?" Cat asked.

Jade and Talan laughed. "Whatty?" Cat asked, confused.

"We're not dating," Talan said.

"But you said 'glady' when Sikowitz told you to do stuff with your boyfriend on your own time," Cat replied.

"I only said that because Sikowitz used to say that to me all the time before, and I always responded with 'glady.'" '… Back when Beck and I were dating,' she thought to herself.

"Oh. Let's go eat. My tummy's growling," Cat said, patting her tummy.

Jade closed her locker, and they all headed to lunch. They saw Tori, Andre, Beck, and Robbie sitting at a table, but Jade insisted not to join them. Instead, they sat two tables over.

As soon as they got to the table, Cat dropped her bag, grabbed her wallet, and ran to the grub truck.

"Are you hungry?" Talan asked Jade.

"Not really, but don't let me stop you. Go ahead and eat," Jade responded.

"Are you sure?"

Jade nodded. "Can you get a bottle of water?"

"Yea." Talan walked towards the grub truck, as Cat skipped back with a corn dog, fries, and a drink.

"Aren't you going to eat jade?" Cat asked.

"Nah, I'm not really hungry."

Cat started eating her corn dog, with a big smile on her face. Her starvation diminished, as presented by her satisfaction.

Talan came back with a burger, fries, and two bottles of water. He handed one bottle to Jade.

Sinjin tried to slyly sit next to cat. "Jade, you're back," he said.

"Ya, now go away before I make you regret sitting down with us. Now!" Jade yelled.

Sinjin ran away as fast as he could. Cat giggled, "You're still the same Jade, except you smile more. I love it."

Jade rolled her eyes.

Robbie walked over to their table. "Hey, why don't you guys join us?"

"It's ok, I think it's best if we just stay here. Overcrowding can be overwhelming," Talan responded.

"Alright, suit yourselves," Robbie replied. He walked back to Andre, Beck, and Tori.

"What happened? I thought you were going to get them to come over?" Tori asked.

"He can't even get a girl, why did we expect him to get our friends to come over?" Andre asked. Tori and Beck laughed.

"Ha, Ha," Robbie said sarcastically. "I did, but that Talan dude said 'overcrowding can be overwhelming.'" He made air quotes with his fingers when he quoted Talan.

Beck looked over at Jade's table. He noticed Jade, Talan, and Cat all having a good time. Jade was actually laughing. He missed seeing her laugh, and smile – even though she only did it when they were alone. But most of all, he missed being the reason why she laughed and smiled. Knowing he was the reason for her happiness was the best feeling in the world to him.

"Who is that Talan dude anyways?" Andre asked.

"Beats me, but he is good looking," Tori replied.

"He looks so much older than us," Robbie contributed.

"Maybe he's in his twenties. Jade likes mature guys," Andre said.

"Yea, and he even changed her; made her nicer. I didn't think that was possible," Tori responded.

They all laughed. Beck didn't want to listen to them. All he could think about was Jade, and how much he missed her.

* * *

**Who is Talan? Why was Jade in Houston? Keep reading to find out.  
****Please review. Give me feedback or suggestions.**


	2. New Light

After school Jade and Talan went to the parking lot to leave as soon as possible. Beck saw them walking together to Talan's convertible. Jade loved convertible cars, but she loved guys who drove convertible cars even more.

Beck remembered sitting in his convertible with her, going on dates, making out, having the time of their lives together.

Talan opened the door for Jade to sit in the passenger seat. Then he walked over to the driver's side and drove away. He remembered how that used to be him and Jade, in his car.

Jade and Talan arrived at her house and went straight to her room.

"How are you feeling?" Talan asked her.

"I feel ok, just a little tired." Jade relaxed on her bed, lying on her right side.

Talan sat down on her bed next to her, and stroked her hair. She loved it when he did this; it made her feel relax.

"You should rest. You worked really hard to recover in such a short time, I don't want you to start crumbling again."

"Well, that's what I have you for," Jade replied, smiling.

"How did it feel being back on your stomping grounds?" Talan asked.

"It was ok. Nothing different. It just felt a little weird, being back."

"How was seeing your ex-boyfriend?"

Jade sighed. She thought about how to respond. "It was…indescribable. He looked the same as he did before. I wanted to run and kiss him, but I knew I couldn't. That's why I was smiling so much when I walked in… Wait, are you even ok with me telling you this?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well because of our relationship, and I know how you feel about me."

"Jade, I just want what's best for you, and considering who I am to you, I care about you a lot. If being with him is what will make you happy, then who am I to stop you?"

Jade smiled. She was so thankful that Talan was so understanding; it was the one thing she admired most about him.

"But you know, if you guys get into fights, or anything of that sort, I'm going to have to come in between you two."

Jade sighed, "I know." She wasn't in the state to be stressed out, and with her history with Beck of consistent fighting; she's bound to get stressed as soon as their conversation starts. But it didn't change the fact that she wanted to talk to him. She wanted to be with him. She never stopped wanting him or loving him, even if it has been a little over a year since they broke up.

"So you're just gonna let everyone believe that you went to Houston for school? You're really not going to tell anyone the real reason why you were in Houston, huh?"

Jade thought about it. She didn't really want anyone to know, especially Beck. "I'll probably tell Cat, she's the closet person to me, and she's the only one I can confide in." She used to confide in Beck, but that stopped after they broke up. "But not anyone else…"

"Jade, it's better if you tell people, especially your friends. That way, more people can be there for you and care for you."

"I don't need anyone's pity!" she shouted. Her family knew the truth, and they didn't care – making Jade conclude and assume that no one else will.

"Alright. It's up to you." Talan sat up. "I'll be in the next room. Let me know if you need anything." He got off the bed and walked out the door, leaving Jade's door open.

Jade slowly closed her eyes, thinking of how handsome Beck looked today, and how she was going to approach him, to tell him that she wants to be with him.

* * *

"You ready for school?" Talan asked, walking into Jade's room. She was all dressed in a dark red and black dress with her infamous black boots. She dabbed on that last bit of eye shadow, and then turned around to face him.

"Well, I don't have a choice."

Talan chuckled. "Alright. Let's get going before you throw a fit."

They walked down stairs and went into Talan's car. Just like yesterday, he opened the door for her, and closed it while she settled in. He was a gentleman and mature – other reasons why she liked Talan.

Though, despite all the admirable traits she saw in Talan, it could never compare to the reasons she fell in love with Beck. She knew Talan liked her, and she liked him back, just not in the same way. Beck had stolen her heart a long time ago, and she feels like, even though they broke up, he still held her heart – and that's why she couldn't return the same feeling to Talan.

* * *

At school Beck stood next to Tori and Andre, at Andre's locker.

"So you wanna go to a movie tonight?" Tori asked, looking at Beck.

Beck didn't respond; he was lost in his thoughts, about Jade, and how stunning she looked when he first saw her in the longest time. He thought about how much he missed being with her.

"Beck…? Hey, Are you there?" Tori asked, waving a hand in front of Beck's face. Beck shook his head, releasing his thoughts of Jade.

"Sorry, Babe. I was dozing off," he kissed tori on the cheek.

"It's ok. So a movie tonight at my house?"

"Yea, sure. Is it just going to be the two of us?" Beck didn't really feel like spending alone time with Tori, but he didn't wanna tell her that directly.

"Ugh…" She thought about whom to invite before responding. "Andre wanna join us?"

"Nah, I don't want to be a third wheel," Andre replied.

"I guess it's just the two of us then," Beck said, with a slight sound of disappointment.

Tori smiled and kissed Beck on the lips. "Perfect. I'll have my boyfriend to myself."

* * *

**Beck and Tori are dating? Who saw that coming?  
****What kind of relationship does Talan and Jade have? Boyfriend and girlfriend?  
****What's the real reason Jade went to Houston?**

******Please review. Give me feedback or suggestions.**


	3. The Mouse Discovered the Cheese

Cat, Robbie, Jade, and Talan sat in fifth period together. The teacher let them have a free day today, but they couldn't leave early, even if it was the last period of the day.

"Tell us more about Houston Jade." Robbie begged Jade.

"What's there to say? Houston was Houston."

"Did you ride ponies?"

"She was absolutely terrified of them at first, but I got her used to it," Talan replied, laughing.

Jade rolled her eyes. She remembered how scared she was of falling off, but denying her fear to everyone there.

"This one time, my family went to a ranch, and my brother was scared of a little pony, so he pulled the pony's tail and the pony kicked him." Everyone looked at Cat weirdly. "We're not allowed to come back." She looked at all of them and smiled. "Whatty?"

"So Talan, how old are you, anyways?" Robbie asked. It was bothering him; he really wanted to know how old this guy was.

Jade scowled at Robbie. "Dude, what's it to you?"

Talan patted Jade on her back. "Relax, I don't mind," he said, looking at her. He turned to face Robbie, "I'm twenty-seven."

Robbie gave him a strange look. He's so much older than Jade. Is it even legal for them to be together? Yea, she was eighteen, but still…

"You don't look like you're twenty-seven," Cat said.

Talan chuckled. "Why thank you Cat."

She smiled back. "You're welcome." She clapped her hands, giggling. "Jade wanna catch up with some school work tonight?"

"Ugh, yea, sure. My house?"

"Kay. Kay," Cat said smiling big.

"Robbie, wanna join us?" Cat asked.

"I'll pass. I gotta finish my script for playwright class."

* * *

The bell rang. Talan, Jade, and Cat headed to Talan's convertible. Again, Beck saw them in the parking lot, driving away.

"Hey, you ok?" Tori asked walking behind him.

"Yea, I'm good. Are you ready to go?"

"Yea, let's go pick up a movie at red box, then head to my house."

"Alright." Beck replied.

* * *

Jade and Cat finished their homework that was due this week, and Jade caught up with all of the necessary information she needed to know for the classes she missed. She was thankful Cat took notes for her.

It was eight o' clock. Jade and Cat were eating grilled cheese sandwiches in Jade's room, and asked Talan to join them. They all had a good time, cracking jokes, and laughing.

Talan cracked a joke that made Jade and Cat laugh hysterically. Cat ended up spilling her juice on her shirt.

"Boo boo," Cat shrieked. "Jade, can I borrow a shirt please?"

Jade rolled her eyes. "Sure. There's some old shirts in the top drawer." Jade pointed at her black drawer.

"Thanks!" Cat got off the bed, and walked to the drawer. She pulled out the top drawer, gasping, and covered her mouth with both hands.

Jade stood up. "Cat, what's wrong?"

Cat picked up one of the contents in the top drawer. "What is this?" she asked, holding up a transparent bottle with pills inside. "And why do you have a bunch of these bottles of pills in your drawer? Are you doing drugs?"

"Cat, Calm down, ok. I'll explain."

Cat sat down on the chair at Jade's desk. Jade sat down on her bed, facing her. She took a deep breath in, and exhaled. She looked at Talan, and he nodded his head, encouraging her to do it.

"Cat, I'm…"

* * *

**Why does Jade have pills? Is she a drug addict? Is that why she went to Houston?  
****Keep reading to find out!****Please review. **

******Give me feedback or suggestions.**


	4. Overwhelming

"This is a great movie," Tori told Beck. Her back leaned against Beck's chest, and he had an arm around her shoulder.

"Yea," he replied. He wasn't really paying attention to the movie. He was thinking about Jade again. This time, he thought about how him and Jade would watch movies in his RV. He really cherished those moments he spent with her in his RV. It was kind of like their little home. That's why he never had Tori over at his RV. It just felt weird to him, when she would come over. So he decided to spend time with her at her house since they started dating.

But still, seeing Jade the other day revived old feelings – feelings that never really disappeared, but rather subsided temporarily.

* * *

The next day, Beck had lunch with Andre and Robbie. Tori was busy finishing her project that was due at the end of the week.

Beck constantly looked over his shoulder to see Jade sitting at another table with Talan and Cat. He wanted to sit with Jade. He wanted to catch up with her. After all, he missed her.

"Yo Man, you got some pain in your neck or something? You keep looking back, and I know you're not looking at Jade," Andre said. Andre was Beck's best friend, but he was also Tori's. He didn't want Tori to get hurt, just because Beck developed feelings for Jade again.

"Dude, I can't help it. Jade looks beautiful. She looks so happy. She looks incredible. She-"

"Has a boyfriend. And you have a girlfriend, Tori. Remember?" Andre said, interrupting him.

"Yes, I remember. It's just. I don't know ok? Who is this Talan kid Anyways?" Beck asked.

"'This Talan kid' isn't much of a kid. He's twenty-seven."

Their eyes opened wide in disbelief. "What? What is she doing with a twenty-seven year old? Is that even legal?" Beck asked. 'What the hell is she doing hanging out with someone that old?' he asked himself in his head. He got infuriated.

"I thought that too," Robbie said.

"Would you guys drop it? Beck, she's happy with someone else. Get over it. And you're with Tori now. Don't tell you don't like her anymore." Andre told Beck.

Beck thought about what Andre said. He is with Tori now, and he still liked her. But he didn't love her, like how he loved Jade. No scratch that, he still loves Jade. He admitted that he liked Tori, but he feels like he started dating her only because she liked him, and he wanted to get over Jade. But obviously, it didn't work. He still loves jade.

"Look man, I like Tori. But, after seeing Jade again, I realized that I still love her. You know that I only went out with Tori because she wanted to go out on a date. And you're the one who convinced me to go, so I could get over Jade… but it didn't work. I still love jade. I thought I could grow to love Tori, after a few months, but it turns out that I still only like her, and not in a romantic way. I only like her as a friend," Beck told Andre. "You guys have to help me get Jade back, but I don't wanna hurt Tori in the process. Please guys?"

Robbie and Andre thought about it, before responding. They were friends with Beck, but tori was their friend too. Not to mention, they didn't really like it when Beck and Jade were together, because they were always fighting. But, they could see that Beck was miserable and desperate for help.

"Alright, but if Jade threatens me in anyway, I'm out," Robbie told Beck. Beck smiled in appreciation, and then looked at Andre.

Andre rolled his eyes and sighed. "Fine. But I really don't wanna hurt Tori."

"Yea, I know. I don't wanna hurt her either."

Beck, Andre, and Robbie leaned in, and conjured up a plan to get Jade and Beck back together.

* * *

"Hey little red." Andre stood behind Cat in the hallway.

She turned around and giggled. "Hey Andre!"

"Listen up, the guys and I were thinking of throwing Jade a surprise 'welcome back' party. You wanna help?" Andre asked Cat.

"Yaaay! I love parties."

"Good. You have to convince Jade to come."

Cat remembered what Jade told her a few days ago. "Wait, I don't think Jade would want to come." Cat told Andre.

"Why not?" he asked.

"I don't know." She didn't wanna tell Andre the real reason. Jade trusted her not to tell anyone her secret. "Never mind, I'll tell Jadey tonight. I'm sure she'll wanna come."

"Alright. See you at seven."

"Kay. Kay."

Andre left Cat, and a few seconds later Jade and Talan showed up – almost as if it was on que.

"I have something to tell you guys!" Cat Shrieked.

"Alright, Spill," Jade said, taking a sip of water.

"Let's go to Nozu for diner tonight."

Jade looked at Talan. "Cat, I don't think it's best for Jade to eat sushi," Talan told Cat.

"Why?"

"You know why Cat. So drop it," Jade retorted. She wanted to eat sushi, and it irritated her, knowing that she couldn't.

"Oh." Cat sighed. "Why don't you guys come anyways? It's karaoke night Jade. Let's do another song!"

"I'll pass," Jade started to walk away. Talan looked at Cat and saw her frown. He felt bad; he could see the disappointment in Cat's face. He titled his head in the direction Jade was walking to inform Cat to follow her.

Talan pulled Jade's arm, making her turn around. "Jade, come on. You should go." Talan placed both of his hands against Jade's cheeks to hold her head up. "You used to tell me how much you missed singing and performing back in Houston. Let's go. It'll be fun."

Beck happened to be walking a little behind where Jade stood. He didn't like the way Talan touched Jade's face. He used to do that. He wanted to push Talan out of the way, stroke Jade's cheek, and kiss her.

Jade rolled her eyes, and thought about it. She didn't want to go to a place that reminded her on her condition, but she missed performing. "Fine."

Jade, Talan, and Cat walked to next period, passing Beck. Jade smiled at him, and he smiled back. He wasn't expecting her to smile at him, but he enjoyed it.

* * *

Cat grabbed Jade's hand in the parking lot and skipped to the entrance of Nozu. Talan walked a few steps behind them, but Jade grabbed his arm, pulling him next to her.

When they walked in, everyone yelled, "Surprise."

Jade was stunned. She looked at the banner that read, "Surprise Jade! Welcome Back!" People started walking towards her, to hug her. First Andre, Robbie, and Then Tori. She felt overwhelmed. She wanted to scream and push everyone away.

Beck started towards jade to give her a hug, but Talan stood in front of Jade, making Beck stop.

"Are you ok? Do you wanna leave?" Talan asked her.

Jade's face got pale. She didn't look so good. She started to shake a little. She didn't look Talan in the eyes, but she nodded her head confirming that she wanted to leave.

"Alright. Let's go." Talan grabbed Jade's hand. "Sorry Cat, this whole thing is just a bit too overwhelming for her. You understand right?"

The smile on her face disappeared and her excitement diminished. "I'm so sorry Jadey. It's all my fault."

"No, it's not. We're just going to leave," Talan replied. He turned to face everyone. "Sorry everybody."

Talan walked out, holding Jade's hand.

Everyone look at each other confused. Cat stared down at the ground. She felt bad. She didn't mean to hurt Jade. She began to form a frown on her face.

Beck was infuriated, again. This was his chance to talk to Jade, and stupid Talan got in the way and took her home. Who the hell did he think he was?

He walked over to Cat. "Cat, what happened? Why did Jade leave?" he demanded.

Cat didn't know what to say. "Ugh… Jade was tired." Cat replied with a fake smile across her face.

"There's no way Jade was tired. She drinks coffee all the time," Tori said, joining their conversation.

"Jade doesn't drink coffee anymore," Cat replied.

"Jade? Jade doesn't drink coffee anymore? Jade West?" Andre asked. Him and Robbie joined their little circle.

"Yea, Talan said it's bad," Cat said.

Beck looked at her perplexed. "What? I've been telling her for the longest time that it's bad for her, and she didn't listen to me ever. Now this Talan guy comes along and she just obeys. And why did he just leave with her? I really don't like this guy."

"He's a really good guy Beck," Cat told him.

Beck rolled his eyes. He couldn't believe all of this was happening. He did something for Jade, conjured up a plan to get back, and it all falls apart.

"Alright, let's not let all this sushi go to waste," Andre said. They all sat in a booth, trying to have a good time, while Beck was distracted, thinking about how much he wanted to beat up Talan.

* * *

**Why did Jade and Talan leave so quickly? **

******Please review. Give me feedback or suggestions.**


	5. Reality

"I'm so sorry Jade. I had no idea they were throwing you a surprise party. If I knew I wouldn't have taken you, let alone convince you to go," Talan told Jade. He felt guilty. He took full responsibility of it, even if it wasn't his idea to throw the party.

They lied on Jade's bed, facing each other. He stroked her hair again.

"It's ok Talan. I know you didn't have anything to do with it. I don't even know why they would even wanna throw me a party."

"Because they are your friends, and they care about you."

"Sure they do." She rolled her eyes.

"You're not mad at Cat are you?"

"No. It was probably Vega's idea. Cat looked innocent. I'm guessing Tori and Andre them told Cat to convince me to go."

"Well, I'm sorry for my part. How did it feel, honestly?"

"Honestly? I felt overwhelmed, and not in the good way. Everyone was coming at me, and everything was so loud. When my body started shaking, I was sure I was gonna have a panic attack. I couldn't even talk. I had hard time breathing. It was horrible."

Talan could see her fragility in her eye. He stroke Jade's cheek. "Well it's over now. Go to sleep. You need your rest. We got a busy week coming up."

Talan got up the bed. "Talan?" Jade asked, stopping him before he left her room.

"Yea?"

"Thank you, for being there with me, and taking me home."

Talan smiled, walked over to Jade, and kissed the top of her head. "That's what I'm here for."

Talan walked out of her bedroom, shutting off the lights.

He lied in bed, feeling terrible about bringing Jade to the party. He should have known better. But then again, he didn't know anything about it.

To him, Jade was beautiful. He found her rudeness and wit amusing. All of the time he spent with her caused him to develop feelings for her.

But he knew she still loved her ex-boyfriend. And plus, he wasn't exactly in the position to date her, or be her boyfriend.

He knew Jade didn't feel the same way, but he told her how she felt anyway. He didn't see a need to hide it.

He wanted to be with her, but he had to let her feelings for him grow, which – he thought – will happen over time. He didn't care if it was going to be a long wait; he was willing to wait for her.

* * *

Cat, Robbie, Tori, Andre, and Beck sat together at lunch.

"Hey where's Jade?" Tori asked.

"She's been busy," Cat replied.

"With Talan? Unbelievable, she's ditching school for this dude?" Beck retorted. Beck formed fists with his hands, on the side of his legs. He didn't like Talan one bit. She was still a high school student. He could have her arrested for truancy.

Cat wanted to tell them the truth about why Jade wasn't in school, but she knew she couldn't.

"She hasn't been to school this whole week," Tori said.

"Maybe the surprise party was a bad idea," Robbie replied.

"Yea, we forgot… it is Jade," Andre contributed.

* * *

The conversation at lunch made Cat worried about Jade. So she decided to text her in her next class.

To: Jade

From: Cat

Text Message: Hey Jadey, how are you? I hope you're fine. Everyone's asking about you.

To: Cat

From: Jade

Text Message: Cat, you didn't say anything did you? And I'm fine.

To: Jade

From: Cat

Text Message: No, I didn't. I can keep a secret.

To: Cat

From: Jade

Text Message: Good!

To: Jade

From: Cat

Text Message: So since you're done with 'you know what,' you'll be back in school on Monday right?

To: Cat

From: Jade

Text Message: Yea

To: Jade

From: Cat

Text Message: Kay. Kay.

* * *

Jade arrived to school with Talan, the following Monday. She missed one week of school, but she got the 'ok' from the principal, dean, and Lane.

"Yay! You're here!" Cat screeched. She hugged Jade.

"Alright Cat, let go before you but makes friends with the floor." Cat jumped off of Jade.

"So how was it?" Cat asked.

Jade looked behind Cat, seeing Beck and Tori and Tori's locker. It bothered her that he was talking to Tori. She never liked Tori, and even after going through hell the past year, she still didn't like her.

At that instant, Beck kissed Tori. Jade's eyes widened and bulged out. She couldn't believe it. She thought she was dreaming.

"Cat, what is Beck doing kissing Vega?"

"They're dating. I thought you knew that?"

"What? No. Why didn't anyone tell me?"

"I just said I thought you knew. Duh!"

"Since when?"

"I thought you knew since you the first day of school."

"No Cat! Since when were they dating?"

"Mmm, a few months ago."

Jade's heart sank. She knew Beck would date again, but she didn't expect he'd date Vega. He knew how much she hated Tori. He would consistently deny that he had any feelings for Tori, when Jade would ask if he did. 'So, he really did have feelings for her when we were dating,' Jade thought to herself.

Talan could see the pain in her eyes, and her attempt to cover it up with anger.

"I gotta go," Jade darted towards the girl's bathroom. She tried to keep her tears in, but they started falling before she reached the door.

Talan and Cat ran over to follow her. "Cat, will you in there and talk to her? I can't go in."

"Kay. Kay." Cat went into the girl's bathroom. "Jadey, are you ok?"

Jade wiped the tears from her eyes. "Go away Cat!"

"What happened Jadey?"

"It's nothing Cat! Go Away!"

Cat walked out of the bathroom. "She won't talk to me." The bell rang. "I gotta go. Text me if you need me." She ran off to class.

Since everyone was in class, Talan slowly walked into the girl's bathroom.

"Jade? It's me Talan. Come out here."

Jade sniffed, but her tears kept falling from her eyes.

"Come on Jade. Please? I know you don't wanna be alone right now."

Jade sighed. He was right. Being alone right now was the last thing she wanted. She unlatched her door and came out of her stall.

She looked at Talan. She started shaking her head slowly from left to right, and the tears started to flood in again.

Talan ran to her, and hugged her. "It's ok Jade." He stroked her hair.

"No, it's not ok. He's with someone else now… and it's Tori," she yelled out. He could hear her pain through the tone of her voice.

"Don't worry about it." Talan wanted to make her feel better. He never liked seeing her when she was sad, struggling, or was in pain. Every time he saw her like that, he'd do anything to cheer her up. "He'll come around." He wanted to be with Jade, but he knew she wanted to be with Beck, and he wasn't going to stop her from being happy. "Do you wanna go home?"

Jade thought about it. "No, I missed so much school already."

"Alright, well let's get you cleaned up, and ready for class."

Jade nodded. Talan grabbed some paper towels and dabbed her face to wipe off the tears. She fixed herself, while she looked in the mirror.

Talan smiled at her. "There, you look incredible."

She rolled her eyes, but returned a small smile. "Whatever. Shut up." She threw the used paper towels in the trashcan.

Jade and Talan walked into Theater Tech late, with all eyes on them. For the rest of the day, Jade thought of a way to get back at Tori.

* * *

After school, Jade and Talan walked to Talan's car, but got stopped by Andre and Tori.

"Hey guys, wanna come over my house tonight to play cards?" Tori asked.

"We'd love too," jade replied with a fake smile. Jade grabbed Talan's hand, and walked passed them towards Talan's car.

"Be there at seven!" Tori yelled back at them, walking away.

Jade just waved her hand in the air, without looking back.

* * *

**Why did Jade miss a week of school?  
Will Jade give Beck and Tori hell when they play cards? **

******Please review. Give me feedback or suggestions.**


	6. Water Fountain

"Jade, are you sure you wanna do this? I don't want you to get overwhelmed again and I don't want you to get hurt."

They were on their way to Tori's house. Jade wanted to go to get her revenge on Tori for going out with Beck, but she didn't tell Talan that.

"I can handle it, alright?" Jade retorted.

Talan could tell she wasn't in the mood to talk, so he dropped it.

The arrived at Tori's house, and Jade rang Tori's doorbell. Standing there, felt nostalgic. It stirred up old feelings, and old memories. It was where Jade and Beck broke up.

"Hey guys, come in," Tori said gesturing for them to come in.

Jade and Talan walked over to the table and sat in between Robbie and Cat.

"Yay, Jade and Talan are here!" Cat cheered.

Beck was happy Jade was here, but he hated that Talan was here too with Jade. Tori took her seat, next to Beck, which happened to be directly across Jade. Seeing Beck and Tori sitting together made Jade wanna puke. Throughout the night Jade rolled her eyes, glared, and scoffed.

They played six rounds of poker, and Jade played it cool. Tori and Beck weren't showing any public display of affection. Jade assumed it was because she was there. They all talked and had a good time.

"I'm getting bored of cards," Andre said after they finished their seventh round.

"Well, we can watch a movie. I have X-men," Tori replied.

Everyone agreed to watch the movie. They all gathered in the living room in front of the TV.

To Jade's surprise, Beck sat in between Andre and Robbie, while Tori sat next to Cat. Jade and Talan sat on the other side of Cat.

"I'm thirsty," Cat said, standing up, walking towards the kitchen.

"I'll join you," Jade replied. Her mouth was dry.

In the kitchen, Cat faced Jade. "How you feeling?"

"I'm fine. Don't worry Cat," Jade said with a smile. She sipped her water, turned to face the gang, and spitted out her water in the air.

Tori kissed Beck. Jade was furious, looking at them kiss. She wanted to beat her up. She Ran to Tori, and spilt her drink over her head.

Everyone gasped, because they were shocked.

"What the hell Jade?" Tori yelled while wiping her face off.

"Jade, what are you doing?" Beck asked.

Jade didn't know what to say. For the first time, she didn't have a snarky remark after doing something mean.

Talan stood up, grabbed Jade's hand, and walked towards the door pulling her with him. Before he went out, he apologized for Jade's actions.

* * *

**What's going to happen next? Is Beck mad at Jade for doing that? **

******Please review. Give me feedback or suggestions.**


	7. Vulnerable

Talan and Jade drove back in silence. He knew she was mad, and he didn't wanna make it worse.

He accompanied her to her room, and lied next to her in bed again.

"Jade, why did you do that Tori?"

"Because, she was kissing my-" She stopped, reminding herself that Beck wasn't her boyfriend anymore, even though she still wanted him to be her boyfriend again. "I mean, she was kissing Beck, and I… I don't know… I got jealous ok? So what, being jealous doesn't make someone a horrible person you know."

"I didn't say it made you a horrible person."

"Yea, well, I'm sure everyone else thinks I'm a horrible person."

"No one thinks that. I'm sure they'll understand. It's obvious you're not over him. And who can blame you? You two were together for over two years. Those feelings don't just disappear over night."

Jade felt her eyes well up with tears. She leaned in towards Talan, resting her head on his chest. "It's just… it's just not fair. Why do all of the bad things happen to me? Is it karma for all of the bad things that I've done? It's just not fair…" Her tears fell down fast like raindrops, staining Talan's shirt.

He stroked her hair, trying to calm her down. "Hey, listen to me. All of these bad things that happened; it's not your fault. I'm not gonna sit here and let you blame yourself. You can't blame yourself for what happened to you a year ago. If you think about it, if it never happened to you, then you wouldn't have met me."

That made Jade smile a little. Talan was so good to her, and she acknowledged and appreciated it.

"Beck probably hates me…"

"You don't know that. And I doubt he does."

"He's never going to forgive me."

"He will Jade." He paused for a moment. "Jade, I think it's time you told Beck and the rest of your friends."

"No. I wanna tell him that I love him, and that I wanna be with him Again. And I want him to come back to me because he loves me, not because he feels sorry for me."

"What about your other friends?"

"They're not really my friends ok… and I don't know. I just don't want people to feel pity towards me. My family didn't even care when I told them… so why would they care?"

"Oh, Jade. They'll care. You just need to trust that they will."

Jade thought about it. She didn't trust them. She didn't trust anyone anymore – that is, except Talan. She's felt so vulnerable ever since she was little and her parents ignored her. When she started dating Beck, her she didn't feel as vulnerable as she did before. Then, when they broke up, her vulnerability appeared again, and after she discovered why she needed to go to Houston, her vulnerability over heightened. If it wasn't for Talan, she would have been lost, afraid, and in pain all the time.

"I don't know anymore Talan… I don't know anything…"

"So what happens if he chooses Tori?"

"Then…" She paused for a moment. "Will you take me?"

"Hey, don't take me for granted." He tickled her, making her smile.

"Talan?"

"Yea?"

"Can you sleep next to me tonight?"

Talan could see how vulnerable she was, inside and out. "It'll be my pleasure."

She lied in his arms, resting her head on his chest for the rest of the night. They didn't talk much; Instead they lied there in silence; enjoying each other's presence.

* * *

**What is this big secret that Jade is keeping?**

******Please review. Give me feedback or suggestions.**


	8. Confrontation

The next day at school, Tori, Cat, Robbie, Beck, and Andre all sat in their History of Broadway class, talking.

"What the hell was Jade's problem?" Tori asked. 'Unbelievable,' she thought to herself. She invited Jade to hang out, and she repays her by dumping water on her.

"That's just how she is Tori. Relax," Beck said, kissing Tori on the cheek. He didn't understand why Jade did that. He wasn't expecting it. He got a little mad when she did it, but later he thought, 'did she do that because she was jealous? Does that mean she still loves me?' He wanted to know why Jade did that, but he didn't want to upset Tori. He wasn't a complete jerk; he cared about Tori too.

"Still yet! Her being herself is not an excuse." Tori exclaimed.

"Yea, why did she do that?" Robbie asked.

"Who knows why Jade does anything?" Andre contributed.

"Because she's such a horrible person!" Tori yelled. She turned to face Beck. "I don't even know what you saw in her. She so awful, and she doesn't care about anyone but herself! She's so selfish!" Tori ranted.

"Tori shut up! All of you, shut up! You guys don't know what jade's going through, and she's the bravest person I know! And you guys are being really mean to her, and I won't stand for it!" Cat yelled at them.

The bell rang a second later, and Cat stormed out as fast as she could. She didn't like the way they were talking about Jade. Jade was her best friend, and she wasn't just going to listen to them talk bad about her.

Beck didn't like the way they were talking about Jade either, but he understood why Tori was mad; She had a right to be mad. Beck wanted to stop them too, but he was a coward. He didn't want to upset Tori even more. He thought about talking to Jade, but he didn't wanna piss Tori off more.

Tori, Andre, Beck, and Robbie avoided Jade and Talan the whole day – even Cat, since she was with Jade and Talan.

* * *

After school Jade leaned against Talan's car, while Talan stood in front of her.

Beck and Tori entered the parking lot, noticing Jade and Talan still there.

"You can do it," Talan said, reassuring Jade. Beck looked at them, and saw Talan kiss Jade on the forehead. He really didn't like that, but what could he do about it? He missed kissing her forehead to calm her down when she got mad. He noticed Jade making her way towards him and Tori.

"Beck, can we talk?"

Beck wanted to smile. It was the first time she spoke to him since she got back, but tried to hide it, for Tori's sake. He was about to Respond when Tori answered.

"No. Get away Jade." Tori glared at Jade. She grabbed Beck's hand and started towards his car, but Jade grabbed Beck's other hand, stopping him. The touch of her soft hands on his, was a feeling he'd been yearning for, for months. He was shocked she actually did it.

Jade ignored Tori. "Beck, please, let's talk."

"Isn't your boyfriend going to be mad?" he asked.

"Beck, please. Just five minutes."

Beck looked into Jade's eyes. He could see that she really wanted to talk, and he wanted to talk to her too. He was about to let go of Tori's hand, when…

"No Jade! Not even a Second! You don't deserve to talk to him. You have no respect for anyone!" Tori yelled at Jade. She faced Beck, and looked him in the eye. "If you leave with her, then we're done. And you're not the guy I thought you were."

There was a pregnant pause. Beck didn't know what to do. He wanted to talk to Jade. He wanted to be with jade. But he didn't wanna hurt Tori; she was his friend, or more specifically, his girlfriend.

Unexpectedly Talan, walked up to them, and grabbed Jade's hand. Jade shook her head, telling Talan to stop. Talan nodded his head, advising her that they should leave.

Jade let go of Beck's hand, and Talan pulled her away. She looked back at Beck, and Beck just watched her go.

Beck didn't like how Talan pulled Jade away, but he was a bit relieved, because he didn't have to make a choice between going with Tori or with Jade.

* * *

"Why did you pull me away?" Jade demanded.

"Because Jade, I could see that you were about to break."

He was right. It was breaking her heart when Tori held onto Beck. It hurt even more having to walk away from him.

"That's it Talan. This just proves that I shouldn't tell him. I'm not going to tell him."

"Ok. If that's what you want." He took his eyes off the road at a stoplight to look at Jade. "I don't want you to get overwhelmed again, and you shouldn't be stressed. So if I see that you're getting overwhelmed, start to panic, or stress, I'm gonna step in and rescue you, no matter what."

Jade looked at Talan. His words were comforting to her. She grabbed his hand and squeezed it.

* * *

**Is that it? Was that the end of Beck and Jade? Was that their last chance? **

******Please review. Give me feedback or suggestions.**


	9. Indecisive

Beck dropped Tori off at her house, listening to her rant on about Jade the whole ride there. He didn't wanna hear any of it, but he understood why she felt that way about Jade.

When he got home, he lied down on his bed, thinking about Jade, again. What did she wanna talk to me about? What was Cat talking about when she said Jade was going through a lot? Why the hell did Talan take Jade away every time Jade was with other people? All of these questions floated in Beck's head.

He called Tori, and told her that he needed some time apart. It made her sad, and cry, but she understood.

Then, he texted Cat.

To: Cat

From: Beck

Text Message: Hey Cat, earlier you said Jade was going through a lot. What exactly did you mean?

To: Beck

From: Cat

Text Message: I don't think it's my place to tell you. You should talk to Jade yourself.

* * *

**Will Beck confront Jade? Will reveal this secret?**

******Please review. Give me feedback or suggestions.**


	10. Worth it

After two hours of asking unanswered questions in his head, he couldn't take it anymore. He got up and drove to Jade's house. On his way there, he contemplated on what to say to her.

* * *

He knocked on Jade's door, and Talan answered it.

Talan smiled. "Hello."

"Where's Jade? I need to talk to her."

"She's upstairs, follow me." Beck followed Talan upstairs.

Talan and Beck walked into her room. Walking into her room, felt nostalgic. He hadn't been in here for a long while. He hadn't drove to her house in a while.

Jade was standing in front of her dresser. She just finished taking her pills.

"Jade, Beck is here." Beck walked pass Talan, closer to Jade.

Jade quickly closed her drawer and turned around.

"What are you doing here?"

Beck turned around to face Talan. "Jade and I need to talk in private."

"Alright, I'll leave you two alone."

"No, Talan stay." She looked at Beck. "He shouldn't have to go. Anything you have to say to me, you say it in front of Talan."

"You go away for school in Houston for a year, come back with this older guy, and dump water on my girlfriend. Why?"

Jade felt a knot forming in her stomach. "Why the hell would you care what I do? I'm not your girlfriend anymore!"

"Cat said you were going through a lot? What did she mean by that?"

Jade didn't respond. She looked on the ground to the right. She didn't wanna tell him.

"You didn't go Houston for school did you?"

She paused, and swallowed her spit. "No, I didn't," Jade replied. She made no eye contact with him.

"Tell me why you went. Tell me why you dumped water on my girlfriend. Tell me why you brought back an older guy!" Beck yelled at Jade.

She looked at him, and glared. "No! Why do you care? You have a prissy girlfriend now! I don't owe you anything anymore. It's over. You and I are over."

"Tell me the truth!"

"NO! I'll never tell you the truth, and it'll torture you forever, leaving you curious. I'll make you regret ever letting me go, and dating Tori!" Jade screamed at beck. She was getting frustrated, mad, furious, irritated, and stressed.

Beck started to walk closer to Jade, but Talan placed his hand on Beck's shoulder to stop Beck. Beck looked back at Talan.

"You need to Calm down," Talan told Beck.

Beck shook his shoulder, making Talan release.

Talan looked Jade, before turning to face Beck. "Jade was very sick."

"Talan stop!" Jade pleaded.

"I am her doctor."

"Stop! This isn't helping me at all. Get OUT! Get out now!" Jade yelled at Talan. She grabbed pillows and books and started to throw them at Talan, as she yelled at him to get out. She didn't want him to tell Beck the truth.

"She has stomach cancer," Talan told Beck. Beck turned to look at Jade, who stared back at him. Her eyes were overflowing with tears.

"I had to remove almost all of her stomach. So she should not be stressed and you should not be yelling at her," Talan informed Beck. Talan walked out of the room.

Jade put a hand over her mouth, trying to catch her breath and not cry. Beck stared at Jade, and walked in front of her.

"Is it true?"

Jade didn't look into Beck's eyes. She knew if she looked into his eyes, her tears would fall.

"I asked, if it's true?"

Jade sucked her lips in, and nodded her head slowly, as tears slowly dropped on her cheek.

Beck's eye welled up with tears, but he tried to compose himself. "Why didn't you tell me?" He grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "Why didn't you say anything Jade?" He yelled at her.

"How could I?" she yelled back. All of her tears fell on her cheek, as she yelled. "I found out I had cancer the day before Sinjin's game show. I was going to tell you, but you made such a big fuss about us being the worst couple."

"You should have told me!"

"You broke up with me!" She paused, letting all of tears out. She needed to catch her breath. "I'm sorry. I thought you didn't care, and I wasn't sure if I'd return. When I was finally better, I came back hoping to get back together with you again, but I saw you with Tori, and I freaked out, ok? I'm sorry. I'm sorry!"

Beck took Jade in his arms. He felt so guilty for letting her go like that. He abandoned her, when she needed him the most.

He felt her shaking, as she sobbed on his shoulders. Feeling her touch again, was the best feeling in the world for him. He let out a tear, of regret and happiness.

They hugged for what seemed like hours. When they let go, they tried to compose themselves. They wiped away the tears from their eyes and face.

She grabbed his hand, and led him to her bed. She lied down, making room for him. He lied next to her on his back, and she crawled onto him, leaning her head on his chest, and placed her hand on his stomach. He put one arm around her, and grabbed her hand on his stomach with his other hand.

"I'm so sorry Jade."

She sighed, but smiled. "Don't be. I'm sorry for not telling you."

"No, jade. I was such a jerk to you. I left you, when you needed me the most." He paused for a moment, before continuing. "Even though it didn't look like it, I was hurt after we broke up. But I didn't like us fighting all of the time. When I heard you left, without notice, I was devastated for months. Tori was there for me, and she liked me. Andre convinced me to go on a date with her. He thought it might help me get over you. So I gave it a chance. And yea, I liked Tori, but I couldn't get myself to like her more than a friend. When you came back, and I saw you for the first time in a long time, I knew that I still loved you. Then I saw you with Talan and my heart started to hurt. I thought he was your boyfriend."

Jade sat up on her bed, and faced him. "Yea, I know the feeling."

Beck grabbed Jade's hands. "Jade, I love you. You're the only girl I wanna be with. I realized that I would much rather have bad times with you, than good times with someone else. I want you."

Jade felt her cheeks blush. She smiled at Beck. "I love you too."

They leaned in, and shared a kiss. It was soft, sweet, gentle; Just what they needed. The kiss felt invigorating. When they released, they stared into each other's eyes, smiling.

Beck grabbed her face in his hands. "You grew thinner, and paler. Was it that painful?"

She sighed. "When I started chemotherapy and surgery, I lost 20 pounds. I looked like a stick." She smiled. "But I fought my way through it. I tried my hardest to get better, so I could come back to you."

Beck smiled, and leaned in to kiss her again. "Thank you, for coming back to me. Don't ever leave me again, and I promise I won't leave you again."

Her smile widened across her face. They kissed again, knowing that, even though they've been through hell and back, this moment and the rest of the moments they'd share from this point on, was all worth it.

* * *

**Did anyone suspect that she was sick or that she had cancer?  
How'd you guys like the ending?  
**

******Please review. Give me feedback or suggestions.**  
I'd really like to heat what you guys think.  
If you have any ideas for a story, let me know! 


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